Thompson-Herah ends stellar season on a high

Elaine Thompson-Herah
Elaine Thompson-Herah

(Reuters) – Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah finished off her golden year on a high when she won the 100 metres title in the season-ending Diamond League final yesterday.

Thompson-Herah followed up her Olympic 100 and 200 metres in double in Tokyo by coming within 0.05 seconds of Florence Griffith Joyner’s 33-year-old 100 metres world record in a Diamond League meeting two weeks ago.

Although she was unable to better the record in the season finale, the Jamaican took the title in a time of 10.65 seconds ahead of Briton Dina Asher-Smith.

“I am very happy with my race,” Thompson-Herah told reporters. “It’s good to add a Diamond League trophy to my collection, it has been a long season so I was just happy to cross the line healthy.”

In the absence of Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who announced last month he would not race again this season, American Fred Kerley, who finished second to the Italian in Tokyo, won the Diamond League men’s 100 metres title with a time of 9.87 seconds.

Canada’s Andre De Grasse came home in second, running a personal best 9.89.